Ease of Daily Use
When using a product on a daily basis, the details can be just as important as the main features. We tried to use these racks not just for hauling our bikes around but also to see how easy they were to live with on our vehicles. We used these racks on gigantic vans, pickup trucks, wagons, and crossovers; we took notes when cameras were blocked, lights obscured, or egress was impeded. If you need access to the back of your vehicle while bikes are loaded, consider a fold-down or swing-out rack. We also used a variety of bicycles ranging from kids' bikes to enduro bikes, road bikes, and cruisers. All of this is intended to help pick up on each bike rack's small yet critical intricacies that may not be so obvious straight out of the box.
Ease of Removal and Storage
Ease of removal and storage is as straightforward as it sounds. Since we had multiple testers using multiple vehicles, we removed them frequently, stowing and swapping between vehicles. Because we removed them frequently, we quickly identified which racks were complicated, had laborious steps, or were difficult to handle. We were also quick to pick up on the user-friendly ones that were simple to remove.
The storage aspect was even easier. As we mentioned, we tested sixteen bike racks for this review. The logistics of doing this meant we always had a couple in our garages or on our workshop floor. It didn't take long, seeing them side to side, week after week, to tell which ones stowed efficiently and which occupied a ton of space. If a small storage footprint is important, consider a fold-up rack or check its dimensions before purchasing.
Versatility
We focused on several areas with this test: the ability to hold a range of bike types, weight restrictions, functionality on different vehicles, and bike-to-bike contact. Testing versatility required that we not only test each rack with everything from road bikes, electric bikes, and mountain bikes but also that we put a variety of different combinations of bikes in different positions on these hitch racks. We searched for the conflict, and sometimes, we found it.
During our testing, we noticed some racks had shortcomings in terms of versatility and compatibility. We took notes and conducted extensive measurements on these hitch racks to evaluate tray spacing and clearance from the back of the vehicle. We also examined the lateral tray adjustment range to determine the amount of clearance we could create to avoid bike-to-bike contact. As a result, the top-performing products offered adjustability to work with a wider range of vehicles and handle a variety of bike styles.
Ease of Assembly
The test team assembled each rack before use. To recreate the consumer's experience as much as possible, each rack was assembled by a lone tester with no assistance, using only the tools provided by the manufacturer (unless tools were not supplied). We took photos and notes along the way. Some left us angry and frustrated; you'll notice their scores. Some we found intuitive and easy to assemble, and you'll notice their recommendations. We also paid close attention to the directions and evaluated them for accurate content and clarity. Our testers have built more racks than the average Joe, and if we were baffled, you probably would be, too.
Security
We should start by saying that none of our bikes were stolen off the racks during testing. This is likely more a testament to luck than a measure of security. None of our testers have experience stealing bikes, but we knew the tools of the trade and did our best to put ourselves in the mind of a thief to assess the strengths and weaknesses of each rack and its security features.
The reality is that a determined thief could defeat any of the lock systems that come with the racks in our test. Not many locks or cables can't be breached with bolt cutters and a battery-powered angle grinder. Beyond assessing the security of locks, we looked at the ability or lack thereof to secure the bike frame, the wheels, and even the rack itself. The quality and length of cables and locks were assessed and led us to our final scores, with the caveat being that even the best security systems are likely only a deterrent to a determined bike thief.
Durability
Over several months, we used and abused all of the racks in this test. Frequent use is the best test of long-term durability, and our goal was to load up a year's worth of use for the average person during our testing period. These racks were tested in conjunction with ongoing OutdoorGearLab mountain bike, gravel bike, and e-bike tests. Some racks were employed in shuttle runs, seeing as many as ten shuttle runs in a day on rough roads. When it snowed, we left them on the vehicles, and when they got covered in mud, we just kept using them. We did the exact opposite of how we would treat a $600 rack if it were our own, and we wanted it to last. We piled on the abuse, made notes of the results, and ranked the products according to their ability to shrug it off. You can rest assured that we are probably harder on our test gear than you will be on your own.
